Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube has called for unity among all stakeholders as they work together to improve the quality and accessibility of education in South Africa. The newly-appointment basic education minister tabled the Budget Vote on Basic Education on Monday afternoon.
In her budget vote address, Minister Gwarube outlined a comprehensive plan to enhance the basic education sector, emphasising the need for collaborative efforts and significant investments in infrastructure, teacher training, and inclusive education to improve the life chances of all children.
Five Key Priorities
- Intensify efforts and increase access to early childhood development.
- Improve literacy and numeracy skills across all phases of schooling.
- Improve access to and quality of inclusive education for all learners, particularly those with special educational needs.
- Improve access to and quality of teacher training and professional development opportunities for school management teams.
- Improve the safety and quality of schooling environments for learners.
Supporting Teachers and School Infrastructure Teachers are the backbone of our schooling system. Given the many challenges our teachers and principals face daily, we need to ensure they are supported to achieve their goals and improve our learning outcomes.
This includes reducing classroom overcrowding, improving access to electricity, water, adequate sanitation, and removing inappropriate structures such as pit toilets.
The minister revealed plans to evaluate the recent report on the norms and standards of South African schools. The goal is to provide clarity to provinces and drive meaningful improvements in school infrastructure.
"We cannot have learners in danger of drowning in pit toilets or learning in inappropriate structures 30 years into democracy," she stated.
Reviewing Funding Programmes and Advisory Council
The minister revealed that her department will review the implementation of funding for all programmes. These programmes cannot continue to be funded if they do not meet their objectives or desired outcomes, said Gwarube.
The establishment of an advisory council representative of the education system, including all stakeholders across the sector and experts in different disciplines, will be pursued as soon as possible.
The minister said this council will serve as an invaluable resource to ensure the DBE’s efforts are targeted, evidence-based, and informed by international best practices.
Key Budget Allocations
MTEF Budget: R33.2 billion (an increase of R7.2 billion)
- Administration: R600 million
- Curriculum, Policy, Support, and Monitoring: R4 billion
- Teacher Education, Resource, and Institutional Development: R1.5 billion
- Planning, Information, Assessments: R15 billion
- Educational Enrichment Services: R10 billion
- Conditional Grants: R26 billion
- Maths, Science, Technology Grant: R500 million
- Infrastructure Delivery: R13 billion
- Accelerated School Infrastructure Development: R1.6 billion
- School Nutrition Programme: R9.7 billion
- Severe Intellectual Disabilities: R300 million
- Earmarked Allocations and Transfers: R3.1 billion
- Funza Lushaka Bursary: R1.2 billion
- Umalusi: R166 million
- Second Chance Matric Programme (NSC Learner Retention Programme): R38.6 million
- Braille Workbooks/resources: R1.2 billion
- South African Council of Educators (SACE): R16.4 million
- ECD: R150 million
- ECD Nutrition: R197 million
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
In a call for unified action, the minister emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts among national and provincial partners, stakeholders, and the broader community in the basic education sector.
At all times, we must remind ourselves of the non-negotiables in the basic education sector. Our national and provincial partners and stakeholders in the basic education sector need to work collaboratively, creatively, and earnestly, irrespective of our backgrounds and beliefs, to make meaningful strides in strengthening and enhancing our existing systems to improve the life chances of our children.
She stressed that despite diverse backgrounds and beliefs, everyone must work together creatively and earnestly to strengthen and enhance existing systems, ensuring that the life chances of our children are significantly improved.
The minister outlined plans to meet with stakeholders, including teacher unions and provincial and education departments, for formal engagements.
The best interests of our learners must guide our collective efforts.